Composition of breast milk

This is the 3845th article of Da Yi Xiao Hu

colostrum

The milk secreted from the first to the seventh day after delivery is called colostrum. The amount of colostrum secreted is very small, but it is very precious. Colostrum has the characteristics of high protein, low sugar and low fat, which meets the physiological needs of newborns and can provide the newborns with the liquid, nutrition and precious "immunity" they need within a few days after birth. At this time, the baby needs frequent feeding to meet its physiological needs, and also needs close contact with the mother to meet its psychological needs. There is no need to worry about the problem of low milk volume at this stage, because the baby's stomach capacity is still small at this time, and the single demand is very low. It is precisely because of the small stomach capacity that digestion is fast, so it needs to be fed on demand.

Transition milk

The milk secreted between the 7th and 14th days after delivery is called transitional milk. The amount of transitional milk secretion begins to increase gradually, and the fat and lactose content in the milk also begins to increase. Many mothers experience the lactation reflex at this stage. During the transitional milk secretion period, the mammary glands will gradually adjust the amount of milk secretion according to the amount of milk the baby drinks, and will find a perfect balance. If the milk secretion is greater than the amount of milk the baby drinks, milk swelling will occur. Generally, we can let the mammary glands "work hard" to secrete milk to meet the baby's needs by letting the baby suck frequently. But many mothers "admit defeat" at this critical juncture - adding milk powder. Adding milk powder will make the mammary glands think that they have secreted enough milk, and they will start to be lazy... Exclusive breastfeeding that could have been achieved will be forced to become mixed feeding or artificial feeding.

Mature milk

The milk secreted 14 days after delivery is called mature milk, and it actually takes about 30 days to stabilize. The secretion volume of mature milk is similar to that of transitional milk, but it looks thinner, and some are even closer to water. As time goes by, the fat content in mature milk will increase and become thicker and thicker. At this time, after the mammary glands fully understand the baby's eating habits, the mammary glands also work hard "overtime" to secrete, and only need to be on duty at a fixed point. The mammary glands and the baby have a tacit understanding, and the breasts rarely have milk swelling. It should be noted that if the baby does not drink milk due to special circumstances, the milk must be squeezed out in time, otherwise it will cause milk swelling and over time it will affect the amount of milk secretion during this period.

Author: Zhao Yingquan, Women's Garden